Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1887-12-23

The captain turned a. pale as death
There were the proofs. and he stared at
them for full minute before he could
say:
well, this a. GO. 1 shall lock you
up, Short"
The man was registered and taken
down stairs, and then we counted up the
contents of the satchel. and made
out value of over S12. 600. When this
had been completed / went out after
Rider, and inside OF an hour he was be-
hind the bars. He went all to pieces as
soon As | charged him with having put
up the Job for Short to carry out but
denied II in the most vigorous manner
"Short has been telling for year" he
said, ''what his uncle out in the country
was going To do for him. \ few weeks
ago the old man found out what bad pill
his nephew was, and since then Short has
been up a tree. He told me week ago
that he'd have some of their money one
way or the other, and when he talked
about killing and robbing, did my best
TO put the idea out of his head He soft
ened up a bit, and | supposed he had
given over. If Charley Short says / ever
advised him to murder and rob. or that
have had eyes on him for a week past,
uc = inc DlEScSi llhI on earth
Well, curiously enough. we hsd muir
derer on hand without a murder. That
is, no crime had vet been reported. I
had secured the murderer without
hunt 1t was not 50 easy to find the
murder 4 telegram was sent 10 the
agent at the station where Short had
boarded the train, and he replied that he
had heard of no crime. 1t was 4 o'clock
in the afternoon before he sent a dis
patch, saying that an old couple, living
about three miles away, had been found
in their house with their heads chopped
to pieces with an axe. That was the
crime of which Short was guilty and for
which he was tried. When he knew that
he was in for it he turned boastcr, and
felt himself n hero He was delighted TO
give me all the particulars. He said:
Il lived with Uncle and Aunt Desbro
until l was of age. Indeed, l was an
adopted son, both my own parents being
dead. / came into the city nine years
ago as dry goods clerk. After a time 1
got in with some bad fellows, lost my
place and went to the dogs. For the
last three years | have been n gambler,
boxer, and confidence man. Uncle went
back on me a good while ago, refusing
to give me dollar. He had in his
hands money which honestly belonged
to me, for / had worked hard for him for
thirteen years. ] went out there the
other day, to see if he would not give
me $500 to buy an interest in n saloon
Aunt Mary was for giving it to me, but
the old man was as ugly "a a Turk. We
got into a wranglc ut the supper table,
and ne ordered me out of the house.
'Iwent, " said Short after pause, land
it was only after that | got the idea of
robbing the house. The old man never
banked a dollar, but kept everything in
bureau in his bedroom. | sat down on
fence corner on the highway, and thought
it all over. | made up my mind that l
would enter the house after they got TO
sleep. and steal what | could lay hands
on. | did go in about II o'clock, gain
ing access by a kitchen window. | took
the axe in with me to iutimidate them In
case ! was discovered. While my uncle
was sixty years Old he WAS a vigorous,
hearty man, and capable Of making
strong fight. | don't know whether he
suspected might come back, but had
not reached the bedroom when some
slight noise | made reused him out Of
bed, and he struck light and discoy-
cred me.
Il want it TO stand in court that he
was the aggressor. When he saw me no
yelled out to know what | was doing
there l told him | was bound and de
termincd to have $500, and If he would
count it out would 20 away and never
trouble him for another dollar. He had
big club at the head of his bed, and
instead of stopping to argue with me he
seized the weapon and rushed at me.
had to use the axe. He would have
killed me if l hadn't struck him down
Then my aunt came out, screaming for
help, and she was about TO escape from
the house when | hit her After had
made sure they were both dead ! went at
it 10 rob the house, and the plumber
got you found in tie satchel. That's
the whole story, sir, and if the lawyers
can make anything else out OF 1t, let
EN-
1t seemed such straight case that
there could be no loophole of escape, but
within three days after Short had con
fessed to me he engaged two lawyers, re-
canted all he had said, and when put on
trial plead insanity. His friends, as was
aftcrward known. raised 5000 for each
lawyer, and the lawyers moved heaven
and earth TO earn their money. One Of
the instances of Shorts alleged insanity
was a clear case Of bribery and perjury. A
man was brought forward TO swear that
he sat behind the two of us as we came
in that morning on the train, and that
he heard Short tell me that he had killed
seventeen people and WAS then on his
way to Heaven 10 tell God about it, The